After Kumandra

Namaari Part 7

"Heyyyyy Princess Undercut" drawled Ishan. "How goes it?"

Namaari was unamused. Only Raya was allowed to use that nickname. "Fine" was her curt reply. 

Ishan sneered. "Oh please, when a girl says she's fine, every man with experience  in Kumandra it certainly doesn't just mean 'fine'.

"Ah, I am sure you have so much expertise in that area, Ishan. You are a credit to your kind."

He narrowed his eyes, aware of the shade but unable to retaliate as Chief Virana joined them inside the throne room.

"Children" she said.

"Chief Virana" Ishan stated, clearly startled. "The silver fox of Fang" he muttered as Namaari stared at him, shocked.

Thank the gods, Chief Virana seemed not to hear. "I understand you have both had your differences, and I would like to see them resolved, and the two of you united."

They both knew what "united" meant, and identical looks of panic quickly flashed over their faces.

Ishan stuttered. "O-of course, your grace." He pulled Namaari's hand as he began to walk out the door. "We'll discuss it right now, in private" he said, giving the Chieftain a fake smile.

The plastered grin dropped off his face the moment they were out of view and earshot. "What game are you playing, Venturi?" He hissed.

"What game am I playing, Ishan? The throne is my birthright and what I've worked for. You disappear for years and then come back acting like you own Fang."

"I want power to reform Fang."

"What kind of reform, venturi?"

"We both know it's illegal to even talk about it!"

"No, I don't know. What could possibly be so reviled in Kumandran society that to even speak of it is taboo?"

Ishan, for some inexplicable reason, looked disappointed in Namaari.

"Fine, venturi. Draw your blades."

Namaari stared, shell shocked. How did things devolve this quickly?

"If I'm going to be challenging you for the throne I'd like to see how scrappy you are, myself." He glided into a Krabi-Krabong fighting stance and bared his teeth, with his frankly menacing knife and staff gleaming under the bright Fang sun.

Sorry, Sisu Nmaari thought. She bowed her head. "So be it."

She slid into a Muay Thai fighting position, and the battle began in the outdoor courtyard of the palace.

His blade sang through the air with the grace of a cobra, but Namaari was faster, landing a scratch on his arm.

Ishan swallowed a howl and pressed on, almost clubbing Namaari on the side of the head.

She could beat him in five minutes, but she decided to toy with her prey. He needed to learn a lesson.

She gaily batted his weapons away, laughing as she went. "What are you even fighting for venturi? This is seneless. I was willing to talk to you."

To her surprise, he gritted his teeth and began to fight even harder. "Like you would have any idea."

"Try me" she grinned, deflecting his staff with a wave of her hand.

With his seemingly renewed determination, the battle took longer than Namaari expected, and she was forced on the defense as he double crossed her again and again with his sword and staff.

Well this was harder than she had expected. Parry, thrust, repeat. Parry, thrust, cut, squeal, dodge, repeat.

Soon she was covered in blood and sweat, but Ishan would not yield, continuing a relentless offensive.

He landed a jab in her stomach. Namaari had to resist the urge to double over as the wind was knocked out of her.

Still, despite his muscular physique, for a while he had been panting too hard to reply to Namaari's barbs, which indicated their time together was coming to a close.

He was way larger, but Namaari was faster and more technical.

Namaari slashed his wrist, causing him to drop his blade.  "Yield, venturi. You can't have Fang. Not now, not ever. It belongs to the will of the people, and the will of the people is me."

Ishan looked surprisingly devastated for a man who supposedly gave zero f*cks about anything. "So the rumors were true. You are unconquerable. And now things will never get better."

He turned and picked up his weapons, limping slowly away. "If your mother asks" he bit out "tell her I accept your proposal."

He bared his teeth. "If I must relinquish my soul, you can bet I will take your life with me."

A surprising chill ran down Namaari's spine as she heard his words. He had the tone of a desperate man, not one with merely a complex and a wounded ego. What was she missing?