Totoka River The Pig God

astara still did not rise, and it perturbed merrick a great deal. thus he was distracted as he struck forward.
and his quarry reacted swiftly, again not with teeth as merrick continued to expect, but with the full blunt force of his broad skull, wielded like the edge of a heavy sword. 
the blow caught merrick glancingly across his cheekbone, enough to topple the boy again and this time with a growing bruise upon his cheek. striking the ground harshly, merrick felt the nausea rush in, the dark miasma — he floundered to keep hold of consciousness, refusing now to rise again for the purpose of the dark girl.