[b]“HUEK?!”[/b] went the club-wielding goblin as Muu collected herself in time, driving her foot into its distended belly. Her legs were trained, the beast was light, and with a sound impact, the goblin flew back, right into a still-hesitating Matteo. Nervous as he was, the thief wasn’t even able to align his dagger properly before the goblin slammed into his torso, sending both of them tumbling into the bushes. They fell into a disorderly heap, but it was the goblin that scrambled onto its limbs first, one clawed hand squeezing down onto Matteo’s throat while another hand swung down in a chaotic flurry of club blows towards his head.

Somewhere along the way, Matteo’s dagger had been lost, but the red puncture wound on the goblin’s back, not deep enough to be fatal but not superficial enough to be of no effect, showed that it must have done [i]something[/i] at least.

On the other side of the fire, the dagger wielding goblin didn’t give pause at all as Ash recovered swiftly, her own machete drawn and swung. At such a low posture, such a small size, a powerful swing was more demerit than merit, and her first blow went wide, wide enough that the goblin leapt for her right foot, claws extended, jagged teeth revealed, dagger in motion. It would cling onto her calf and move up from there.