The forest's choruses signalled that Jaldoa had once again taken to the trees, and was moving far more hastily than before. Chester could have risked a few more seconds' rest if he was somewhere visible, but the opponent had been smart enough not to give him that relief. Strained as he was, he would have to use his failsafe far sooner than he would have liked.
With a sudden heave his right arm reached out, tossing the third coin he had held onto for such an emergency. Both hands clung to the 5-foot neon beam which followed, appearing at a perfect reach above where he lay. 
The other end was attached to the last of his coins on-hand, and was angled to stick into the floor. With the Vertex's force and a stifled grunt, Chester was able to propel himself aside -- just barely before the blade of a throwing knife swept beneath his shoulder, and cut shallowly into the tree stump behind. It had nicked the material of his sleeve without sound, but no blood was apparent, at least to Chester's hopes.

He was upright, now, albeit poorly balanced as he relied on his new staff for support. He stood at an angle, his arms held high upon the Vertex which crossed diagonally before him. His legs ached a little under his weight, and his opponent was almost directly ahead - but despite Chester's unfavourable situation, he was not yet out of stratagems...