Closed Kukri vs. Kris [Shijara]

[Kel Tempest]

Day 40 of Spring in the Year 514 AV


“Ho boy…this is a terrible idea…”


The words slipped out from under his breath as Kel scooted his feet backwards, arms extended from his body to balance himself, keeping a careful eye on the wood underneath him as he slowly edged his way towards the lip of the cabin roof. He felt the wood bite into the balls of his feet and he stopped, satisfied with his position. He looked down between the black fabric of his baggy pants and saw the deck of the Laviku’s Wrath less than five feet below him.


Dark clouds hung overhead, the swirling mass overcast, giving the day a sullen feeling to it. The air was charged with electricity, a sure sign of the beginning of a storm. The waves were choppier than normal, tossing the ship up and down, rougher than what the Svefra had experience thus far since setting out. It wasn’t anything that would alarm the sea folk but it did make things a little more difficult for the man to balance on the roof the ship’s cabin.


The Svefra swayed back and forth, arms pin wheeling to maintain his position as the ship was hit by a wave. It almost tossed him from his spot but he managed to twist his body so he stayed in the same place. There was a lull and Kel bent his knees, forcing his body to stay loose and limber. He could feel the water shifting under the hull of the vessel and he closed his eyes, trying to feel the rhythm of the ocean beneath him.


His focus was torn away as another wave crashed into the ship and he clenched his teeth, jerking forward involuntary. His butt shot into the air and his torso was thrown forward, arms spinning wildly to keep himself from falling. The wave passed and he managed to righten himself.


“Well it's now or never…”


Taking advantage of the lull between waves, the shirtless Svefra shut off his brain, refusing to think of the consequences of what he was about to attempt if he miscalculated and coiled his body like a spring before leaping off of the roof. Kel thrust his head and arms backwards, arching his spine as he shoved off. He kicked his feet up and over, pulling his knees to his chest to increase the speed of his spin, his body rotating in the air. The clouds, ocean and deck all blurred together into one and he felt a bit of nausea roil in his stomach from his center of gravity being changed as he flipped over backwards.


Before he even knew what was happening, his feet slammed into the deck of the ship painfully causing him to stumble backwards faster than his feet could keep up with him. Unable to catch himself, the Svefra tumbled to the ground in a heap.


A low groan broke the silence as he lay there sprawled out on the deck, feeling pain in his body from not completely landing the back flip he attempted. It wasn’t the most graceful acrobatic stunt ever performed but it was a start. The oldest member of the Tempests’ lay there, looking up at the darkly clouded sky. He had finally recovered from his injuries from his previous excursions and was ready to get back into the thick of things.


Nothing like a few foolhardy stunts to get the blood pumping.

Legend

Fratava

Common

[Shijara]

Choosing between which pod brother to travel with was actually harder for Shijara than she would have expected. There were two options. Kel... & Ty. One was obnoxious, loud, and only seemed to have redeeming qualities when it came to his tavan (or when Shi was under the growing influence of alcohol), and the other, Tydus,... well, the other had pretty words and treated her better... but his hands roamed, and sometimes Shi just wasn't in the mood for flirtatious winks and chuckles.

On occasion, she just wanted to lay on her cot, feet crossed over one another, and try to think of happier places than the swaying ship of a fool-hardy Svefra. Trying to clear her mind in easy meditation, her concentration struggled to keep her focused and soon her mind was wandering, particularly when the sounds on deck grew a bit more noticeable.

"Nothing is wrong. You're okay..." Shijara tried to ignore the feeling, to just lay back and let the movement of the waves ease her. That did not happen. Sitting up, she sighed and kicked herself from the thin bedding on the wooden floor where she slept. She opened the cabin door (carefully in case Kel was baiting her into a trap) but when she looked around and saw the male falling in a heap, laughter bubbled from her lips like an overflowing glass.

What is he doing?

While Ty would calm her down in ways that still made her rather apprehensive, Kel never seemed to cease to distract her from her struggle (albeit it, in usually negative ways). After all, anger and frustration was better than fear, right? Shijara watched him from the doorway. He is just... watching the sky? Shi looked upwards, a pit in her stomach at the smell of rain and fat, grey clouds. Don't think about it. Makutsi is merciful.

Like walking a tightrope, Shi was very careful in how she approached the Svefra. The casinor seemed to rock from the winds, leaving her less than thrilled from the sensation. Growing nearer, she smiled, "Chopre, your form is all wrong." Dark waves fell forward as she leaned over to look at his face, grinning from his failure. She attempted to nudge his side with her boot, adjusting her the two blades that hung from her hips. The scabbards had shifted on her belt after laying down and she went to reset them.

"If you want to try again, I could always go for another laugh."

A hand extended and she offered it to the male, a kind gesture to help him up if he wished. Her tone was teasing, but not in a vindictive way. Shijara was nicer than most, a trait that often got her in trouble when it came to dark haired man. Still, she kept it up. She wasn't ready to burn any bridge, not for a long while, as even Kel didn't deserve it. Not yet, anyway.

Standing there in her make shift shorts and mid drift top, a shiver from the wind ran across her skin, leaving goose bumps in its wake. She had to keep her mind away from it. Away from the the coming storm, "Do you know any other tricks?"

[Kel Tempest]

Sarcastic words floated out across the deck to the Svefra’s ears and a slight smile flinted around his lips. He rolled his eyes when he heard what she was saying and interlaced his fingers underneath his head and crossed his legs, lazily. He leaned his head up, hands holding him upright and he cocked an eyebrow at her.


“Aye land dweller, tis’ good teh’ see yeh’ too. Tho’ if yeh’ be needin’ a laugh, all yeh’ gotta’ do is look inna’ water at yehr’ reflection. Tho’ yeh’ don’t like teh’ water much eh?”


Kel chuckled to himself, pleased with the words that sprung from his lips. He found himself quite hilarious in his own eyes. It didn’t much bother him if no one else found him amusing, everything he did was for himself anyways. He shifted in place, feeling his buttock and shoulders ache slightly from crash landing on the deck but he wasn’t about to show pain in his expression.


A dull reflection caught the Svefra’s eye and he looked down at Shijara’s waist seeing both blades securely fastened at her belt. He hadn’t realized she had any weapons on her. He just figured her to be the petite, loud mouth, all bark no bite. He jerked his head, eyes locked on the weapon.


“I see yeh’ got yehr’ self a blade there, eh? Yeh’ kno’ how teh’ be usin’ it?”


He unlocked his fingers and propped his elbows on the deck as he smirked at her. After a few moments, he grew restless of their banter and sat up before throwing himself backwards. In one motion, he lifted his hands over his head, pressing his palms against the wood. Kel curled his knees to his chest and thrust his legs up into the air, rolling backwards. For a split second, he rested on his shoulders and neck, body hovering in a straight line in the air before flexing his arms and shoving himself upwards. He sprung into the air and snapped his legs down, catching himself on the deck.


For a brief tick, he was unbalanced and wobbled but managed to steady himself and stand upright. He glanced at Shijara and smirked again, taking the opportunity to bow gallantly, both arms extended widely at his sides as he maintained eye contact with the Chaktawe after showing off his nimbleness.


“So what brings teh’ Soulless One out from her cave on a day like this ‘un?”


Kel extended both arms and gesturing towards the sea and sky that surrounded them, knowing her discomfort with being out on the open waters. Suddenly an idea sprung into his mind. He grinned wickedly at Shijara before disappearing without a word into his cabin. A few ticks later he returned, kukri in hand. He rolled his neck, the crunch of cartilage shifting loudly. He cocked an eyebrow at her, grinning impishly, knowing how infuriating it could be to some people. He knew she couldn't resist a challenge. At least, not from him.


"How 'bout we see how good yeh' are wit' that blade, hmm? Think yeh' can take me?"

Legend

Fratava

Common

[Shijara]

He just called her ugly.

The sun-kissed woman laughed, caught off guard by his verbal attack. Okay. That was a good one. Even Shi could appreciate a good witty remark where it was due. If it had been anything but, she would have reprimanded him for being so dull. At least he was good at something, "Hmm." She smiled, stepping back when he did a rather interesting form of jumping up. In fact, Shi had never seen that move before.

She made a mental note to try it herself, when they weren't on a rickety boat in the middle of the ocean. In fact, she made a note to try all the things Kel had been up to, assuming they wouldn't get her killed. Everyone had limits after all.

Shijara eyed him carefully. Did she knew how to use the blade? She knew enough. She hadn't used a kris in some time, but that didn't mean she hadn't once been at least somewhat familiar. And this was Kel asking. No way would she let him know she was lesser than him. When he returned with his own blade, Shijara held her breath. Memories of her uncle teaching her how to use her own weapon were faint in her mind as the boat rocked back and forth.

So this would be the distraction of the evening, would it? There was a moment where Shi wondered if he planned to kill her, but if he wished to do that, wouldn't he just wait until she was asleep? They did share quarters after all... unfortunately. "You think I don't know how to do this dance?" She raised a thin eyebrow, returning his own arrogant grin with a feigned sweetness. "Oh, Chopre."

Shijara pulled off the leather strip wrapped around her wrist and used it to tie up her hair, watching him carefully as she did so. Then, she slowly ran her hand over the sheath of her kris and in a fluid motion, the blackened blade was freed, balanced in her hand.

The point of the waved weapon was aimed at Kel, and she winked. Call her eager, but she didn't plan to circle the Svefra male. For what? Let him find a weakness in her stance? Shijara was like a viper, a flame of excitement playing in her chest as she struck out. They might have been sparring, but any reason to give Kel a little injury was most likely a good one. And if she got harmed in the process?

...Worth it.

[Kel Tempest]

Her cocky words reached his ears and he just grinned in response. For a land dweller, she had a lot of spunk. It was always a game, to see how many buttons he could press before he broke through the mask she kept up when he was around. He knew she just acted arrogant around him because she didn’t want to seem weak.


It wasn’t anything new to him; he had experienced the same thing with every other person he had interacted with since the day he first tried to make friends as a boy. He wasn’t stupid, he knew when someone disliked him, and most people did. Over time, he had just embraced it as who he was because no matter what he did it didn’t seem to change anything. His personality grew worst and worst until he had become almost unbearable. But he preferred it that way. The less people who liked him, the less people he allowed to get close, the less likely he would ever be hurt again.


Most of the time, the Svefra was rash, foolhardy, uncaring and generally dismissive of everything a person said or did either out of spite or arrogance. But when it came to combat, that was a completely different beast. If there was anything in Mizahar that the sea dweller took seriously, it was fighting.


He lived and breathed it.


He watched her keenly as she pulled the wavy blade free of sheath, its darkened blade glinting ominously in the dim light. He wasn’t sure how Shijara would react in combat or how familiar she was with the weapon but he wasn’t about to underestimate her, regardless of what previous connotations he had about her. That was the first mistake made in combat and usually a person’s last.


He gave her a quick once over, it only took him a few ticks to read her. He watched her body movements, the tensing of her muscles, the gripping of her hand around the hilt of her weapon, a flicker in the eyes that marked a person preparing to strike. A smile flickered across his face, disappearing just as quickly as it came. She may have had some experience with the blade itself but she was still a novice in actual combat. When she struck, he was prepared.
Kel jumped back, dodging the blade, knocking the knife aside with his kukri for good measure. He cocked an eyebrow.


“Yehr’ fast, I’ll give yeh’ that.”


If the Chaktawe was planning on staying aboard his ship, he would teach her how to fight. He wasn’t about to get into trouble and let a petching land dweller be the death of him because she couldn’t hold her own in a fight. Granted, teaching her might one day bite him in the ass; but it was a risk he’d take. Few things mattered in life but knowing how to fight was one of them. And he took it very seriously.


Kel took a few steps backwards, giving him space between the two of them so she’d see he wanted to show her something.


“First rule of combat, don’t underestimate yehr’ opponent. No matter how big or small, all they need is a tick to surprise yeh’ or take advantage of yehr’ overconfidence ‘n then yehr’ dead.”


He waited a second to see if she understood what he was saying before continuing.


“Second rule, watch their body, if yeh’ can read them before they strike, yeh’ know where to dodge or parry, which tis’ what I did teh’ yeh. Now, if yehr’ gonna try and take yehr opponent by surprise, takin’ teh’ blade out ‘n then waiting befer’ attackin’ ain’t how yeh’ do it.”


Kel pretended to put his kukri at his side as if it were sheathed, slowly cracking his neck and back as if relaxing, shifting his stance subtly so his dominant foot was in front of the other, knees slightly bent. Suddenly he exploded into motion, whipping the weapon up and out as if stabbing an opponent through the heart.


“Surprise only works if yeh’ can conceal yehr’ motives and draw yehr weapon and attack in the same motion. I could see what’cha were gonna do befer’ yeh did it. Yeh’ blink too much and yehr’ face flushed befer’ yeh’ attacked. Probably got, excited, eh? Gotta control yehr’ self.”


For the first time since Shijara had met him, he had never talked to her in such a grave tone. His words were not demeaning or condescending. He had a straight face, a no joke, no sarcasm, expression, he was completely serious. Kel may not have been skilled with his kukri as he was with his trident but he still knew tactics of warfare that could be used in any combat situation. Having said his piece, he struck.


Having remained in his stance prior, dominant foot in front of the other, he didn’t have to change positions as he put all his weight on his front foot, lunging forward, the flat of the blade extended, intending to slap Shijara in the arm.


NoteHope you don't mind, I mentioned a few things about Shijara that Kel noticed that would happen naturally to someone who was experiencing stimuli or where new to combat. An experienced combatant can recognize certain signs in their opponent that signal someone about to strike. If she was excited, her blood pressure would increase which includes her face when the blood would rush to her head therefore flushing it. Also when someone is trying to surprise someone or lie, people usually blink a lot. Before attacking, most people's hands normally shift a lot around the hilt of their weapon. So all the things Kel noted Shijara doing, weren't godmoding which some might assume but natural responses to things she already did. Hope that's okay. If you don't like them I can remove it. Just let me know!

Legend

Fratava

Common

[Shijara]

Shijara just stared, a steady surprise settling into her bones. She had been prepared to miss, that had been a given. Ever since hearing Kel's condescending, egotistical attitude towards life, she always sort of expected him to have experience in battle. His people skills weren't exactly up to par with the rest of society, but to know the only true thing he might ever be serious about was hurting others, well, it still took Shi for a spin. Not so much the hurting others... It was that Kel could be serious about anything.

Kel rattled off the first rule of battle, never to underestimate your opponent, and Shijara weighed the words in her mind. Maybe she wasn't giving him enough credit... Maybe Kel could be something other than rude and impulsive... Shijara's excitement faded and she dared to lower her social barrier to raise her physical one. This is going to be a straight forward sparring lesson then? That's... refreshing.... Wow. If the Chaktawe received a single moment of seriousness from Kel, it would give her something to grasp on those days he got especially irritating. Apparently, this would be that memory... Or would it?

Shijara was still weary, listening to rule number two. Body language. She would need to read his body language. Shijara glanced downward at Kel's feet and the way he held himself, then to how he lashed out illustrating the element of surprise. Instinctively, the dark haired woman found herself copying the Svefra, albeit to a style that fit her. Dominant foot forward, relaxed but ready with a slight bend to the knee. At first it felt silly, but grew more natural when Kel continued on with rule three.

Control. Hide your emotions... My face really flushed? A smile almost crept upon her lips, but she remembered his words, straightening her features out, locking her face into a more monotone expression. I wonder if I look like my tribe now. So solemn. They should-

Thwak.

A sting slapped Shijara from her thoughts, and she found herself refocusing, inwardly cursing herself. She had just broken all three rules in a single moment. She didn't pay attention to her opponent, let down her guard, and didn't have the self control to stay focused. Damn it, Kel. I get it. Once again erasing her thoughts from her face, or attempting to, Shijara was ready, interested to see if there was another rule. If there was anything having black eyes could be good for, this might have been it. No pupils to give away where your eyes looked. Less emotion to be revealed. Eyes, after all, were windows to the soul and hers were as black as night.

Still imitating Kel's stance, Shijara looked like she was going to copy Kel's move, only she decided to change it up at the last minute. Aiming to land a sharp slap on her opponent's thigh, Shijara made sure to pay attention to where his kukri went in response. Learning Kel's fighting style, if he even had one, might help her in their little spar. Her weight bounced to her dominant foot, leading her, and she spun, hoping to get an opening near his side.

"Why are you not like this more?" Perhaps she was learning. Or perhaps she would need a few more bruises until the lessons really stuck.

[Kel Tempest]

Kel grinned as his kukri made contact with Shijara’s arm forcing a grimace out of her. He couldn’t help himself; he enjoyed winning and bringing a little pain to others. He could maintain a serious attitude for a little bit but it never lasted long. Even a moment of seriousness demanded double the amount of sassiness and playfulness.


It just wasn't in his nature to ever take anything solemnly. Plus, it kept people on their toes, never really knowing what to expect out of him. To be somber was for suckers and the Svefra could only take so much of it before he abandoned the guise. He’d teach Shijara a thing or two about fighting, but never enough so she could be a threat to him. That just wouldn’t do.


But it wasn’t just his personality that kept bouncing his disposition around. His mood was all over the place since they discovered a shape shifter had boarded his ship without his knowledge. The presence of what he perceived to be magic left a turmoil of emotions within him causing his moods to flip on the fly.


He had worked so hard to repress his feelings and emotions since his mentor was ripped away from him by another magic user, covering the emotions with a shell of cockiness and superiority to keep others away. He could tell he was close to losing it. All he wanted to do was gut that human animal abomination and be done with it.


He did his best to keep himself distracted, resisting the urge to pin the magical creature to the mast of his ship. Tydus persuaded him that they would prolong the life of the ‘thing’ to give it a worse fate than death: slavery. The thought of causing another magic user insufferable amounts of pain was the only thing keeping Kel from destroying it on the spot. But that anger needed an outlet somewhere.


Which brought him back to the present moment.


Shijara retaliated, pivoting on one leg and spinning around, trying to hit the Svefra. Kel swiftly lifted his hand to catch her wrist before the kris would slice into his leg. If he was successful in nabbing her arm, he would quickly snap his leg around, driving the heel of his foot into the back of her knee, driving her to the deck. The Svefra would then press his curved blade up against her throat and tap her chin.


If he succeeded in accomplishing those things, Kel would release her and step back, a smirk on his face. None of his movements were complex or difficult, he simply moved quickly before his opponent could respond. Kel had merely trained his entire life to fight, trident or not, combat was combat. And fighting someone who had never been in a fight before made the task that much easier.


“Yehr’ fast with yehr’ blade but yehr’ slow with yehr’ body.”


He left it at that, she could figure out the rest of her own. He gave her a couple good pointers earlier but he wasn’t about to give all his tricks away. He wasn’t a teacher, he was a warrior. He might have been taught but that didn’t mean he had to teach was well. Shijara’s question caused his eyebrow to quirk and he smiled lazily.


“Yeh’ don’t know me, Chaktawe. Don’t pretend to.”


He was frustrated that his moods were all over the place. He could feel his shell cracking and so he did what came natural to him. He pushed people away. People only brought heartache. And that was something he would never deal with again.

Legend

Fratava

Common

[Shijara]

"Chaktawe?"

A slow grin spread across full lips, eyes down. Shi had been kicked behind the knee and knocked to the deck. Her shins smacked against the ground, radiating a smooth pain up her leg, but she did not grimace. Kel's words had intrigued her. Had she been pretending to know him? She had done her share of avoiding him most of the trip. You can not know someone you did not interact with.

Are you not doing the same with me? Kel had surely made some conclusions regarding her. Did he find her a coward from her fear of the ocean, or perhaps his incessant teasing was not him concluding she was an easy target? No, his words could have been held right back in his face. What did he know of her, truly? Other than her frustration with him in majority of their social encounters... was there really an sort of understanding of one another?

Shijara turned her head slightly, just to see his form from the corner of the eye. A new found interest in their fight swelled inside her; not a simple distraction or the childish desire to smack him once or twice... No, now it was more. She wanted to show him that he wasn't going to be the only one with secrets. The dark haired woman reached out to her guardian, calling out to her guardian with her mind.

Sonnet. Shijara formed an image of the cougar in her mind, focusing on it. It took only an instant, and the familiar sound of the animal's voice resounded in her ears.

'You called?'

Sitting behind Kel was a giant cat, its eyes staring into hers. He would not know this, not unless he tried to kill the Chaktawe. As always, the guardian was close. Whether or not she revealed herself to Shijara or another was a mystery, but she was never far away. Under her breath, Shi muttered in Tawna, "Assist me, yes?"

And then to Kel in louder, sarcastic Common, "No more Chewee? But it was such a sweet nickname." The Chaktawe didn't forget memories easily, and she had most certainly not forgotten seeing the Svefra for the first time. But she spoke the words anyway, buying time as Sonnet flashed the image of Kel's back in her mind. An alternate view. It was like a fleeting thought, a response.

Shijara went to smack Kel's hand away and leap forward to rise to her feet. If she succeeded she would find her footing and turn to him. Behind Kel, Sonnet prowled, watching the seafarer. Having the guardian spot openings in Kel's movements or at least instruct her when to block or jump back would prove interesting. Perhaps even make things more even? Raising her kris, the wavy blade glittered in Syna's light and her steady breathing calmed her. Shijara was going to try to cheat.

Let's just see how well you know me, Kel.

[Kel Tempest]

It was Kel’s intention to eventually duel wield his kukri, whenever he got around to getting another one. His skill with his beloved trident had improved drastically since he left his pod the season before, but he didn’t want to put all his fish in one basket. He wanted to continually fill his arsenal with new skills and methods for one upping his competition.


A good warrior always expanded his knowledge and broadened his abilities, one of the many lessons Gideon had taught him as he grew up. Being able to adept in a fight was critical, but the only way to excel in that was by hours of grueling training.


There were so many things that he wanted to work on, while at the same time, not wanting to actually put the effort into doing them. Some were simply not possible, given his current location and lack of equipment, such as running and lifting weights. But he knew they were a necessity given his means of…entertainment.


In the meantime, his current opponent faced him, blade held at the ready.
Kel Tempest furrowed his brow at Shijara, slightly confused by her statement.


“Chewee? When did me ever be callin’ yeh’ that, eh?”


He racked his brain, going back over all the encounters he had with Shijara but remembering nothing. Finally coming to the conclusion that he really didn’t care, Kel shrugged and resumed his stance, kukri held at the ready in his right hand. He wasn’t one hundred percent confident in his abilities with it, having recently started training with it, but he wasn't about to let Shijara know that.


Suddenly Shijara slapped his hand, knocking it aside and leaped to her feet. The look of intense concentration on her face, her black eyes flashing at him as they always did when she looked at him, made him grin as he looked at her. He liked her spunk and the sharp tongue that went along with it. It was refreshing.


But as entertaining as it was, he wanted to get some real action going. He wanted to see how she reacted under more intense pressure.


Not quite at full speed, Kel lunged forward, slashing his curved blade through the air in front of him diagonally, right to left, across his chest. He repeated the motion, but this time going in the opposite direction, left to right as fast as he could while still maintaining some amount of control over the weapon.


He continued the movement, forming the shape of an X over and over as he advanced on the woman, making what he hoped was an intimidating wall of sharp steel. It wasn’t an effective means of attack, he just wanted to push her backwards as he moved forwards, forcing a retreat from her. Either that, or get cut by the blade.


He wanted to see how she reacted in a moment of distress. It would force her to make a split second decision. Fight or flight would kick in and her instincts would decide for her. Quick thinking was required on the battlefield; it often saved one’s life.


Now it was time to see what type of person Shijara was. Was she the type to stand and fight, regardless of the consequences, or was she one to make a tactical retreat, process and fight another day?

Legend

Fratava

Common

[Shijara]

Steel flashed in front of her, swinging towards her, back and forth. Shijara stepped backward, keeping her weapon held up. She nearly wavered, but Sonnet's presence pressed upon her. Flashes of Kel's back moving as his he closed in on her, swinging his weapon contrasted to the image she saw, almost overwhelming. His blade was getting closer. Would he stop? Would she be cut open?

Shijara.

An imaginary picture of her parring Kel's approach broke her thoughts. Shijara was forced to take another step back.

Shijara.

Sunlight bounced off the blade. He was going to cut her. Or at least slap it against her. She needed to brace for the pain. She needed to-

SHIJARA.

Another vision of her fighting back shocked itself into her mind, the urge strong from her guardian, erasing her momentary panic. The dark haired woman felt an emotion that pushed her forward. Was it irritation? Determination? Passion? Shijara took a deep breath, eyes locking not on Kel's face, but on his blade, on his arms, on his stance. Had she not agreed if she would do this, the injuries would be worth the fight? The kris' waved blade, swung upwards, catching his as it lowered to complete another 'x' formation. Metal on metal hissed,and she held the blade tightly, holding it against his.

Push.

Shijara obeyed the advice of her guardian, exerting energy to push his blade far enough to try for an opening. Kel was much larger than her, but she needed to regain ground. If she could just get his kukri to the side, she could bend at the knees and throw her shoulder into him, maybe even catch him in the diaphragm or stomach, using the height difference to her advantage. Knocking the wind from him would also give her a chance to pull out of such proximity. Being so close for so long would be dangerous. The Svefra knew what he was doing much more than the desert dweller and she would need to pull back after evening things.

But would it work?

Even if she didn't knock some air from his lungs, if she shoved hard enough, it was possible he would at least stagger. Tactics swirled within the woman's mind, leaving only a chance for action. No more thinking. Shijara gritted her teeth, pushed her blade further, and when she thought she had a shot, pushed off in hopes to slam into the male's chest.