A horse doesn't need to be a horrific shadow demon for stomping on your head to end badly. Casey's basically in the worst position possible, right now. Greg had hung back, trusting in Casey's experience, but at this point they were on equal footing for likelihood of death.

Gulping in a breath, Greg dashed in, kicking at the Nox's leg. Hitting from the side was supposed to be more effective, right? Amethyst probably told him that at some point.

Well, as far as "effective," it again drew the attention to the newest attacker. The Nox swung its head, aggravated, and with Casey's bat stuck out of it like a demented unicorn, it caught Greg hard in the side, knocking his breath out and sending him reeling to the dirt.