Try to use your shield again!

The first attempted block might not have had much success, but it still stopped you from getting too badly hurt, and it's not like you can do much else up close like this. You raise your shield again, ready to absorb the second strike -- as before, you stop the scythes from getting to you directly, but the strength behind the attack is too much to stave off fully. This one is somehow even stronger than the first though, and it takes you off of your feet to land flat on your back on the gravel path in a landing slightly more painful than you would've liked. These guys are really strong!

The monster stands above you, about to deliver a second strike to your now-exposed head and{if Armour == 2} body{else} armoured torso{endif}, but it's interrupted by a sudden crossbow bolt firing from your right and gliding off of its chitinous armour plating.

It turns its head with a snarl, staring at where Jace peeks out from the hut's window with his crossbow. Paying you no more mind, it dashes off towards him as he started knocking his next shot into the crossbow, kicking up a small storm of gravel dust that you have to cough away as it sprints towards him.

As the dust clears, there's a loud CLANG to your left that you turn and identify as Cameron backhanding the head of the monster he'd been fighting with the blunt side of his shield, stunning it and sending it sprawling to the ground. It scrambles to its feet, shaken, and darts off in the direction that it came from, leaving Cameron huffing and puffing but as the sort-of winner. He turns to you and gives you a hand, which you take, getting pulled up to your feet.

"Okay, huff, that probably could've gone a bit better for both of us." He says. He's clearly a bit tired, but seems mostly unscathed.

On your feet now, you dig your hand into your pocket full of loose bullets and reload your pepperbox as fast as you can, looking around. The monster that was just on you has just about reached Jace in the hut, and he's not looking very happy about it, and over on the bridge the second monster is about to team up with the one fighting Delilah.

Cameron gives you a small smile, then starts heading over to help out Jace. You look between the hut and the bridge, trying to decide where you'll be most needed and wanting to put up a bit of a better display for Professor Phoebe to see.