With the ring of the gong, both men lunged at each other. Astaroth melded almost instantly, while the rogue started throwing kunai at him.
The attack threw Astaroth off for half a second, but not long enough for him to get caught by it. Stinger had not used ranged attacks in his other combat, so it surprised Astaroth.
That's where you could see the man had some previous experience. As Astaroth ducked down, the knives whizzed past Astaroth's ear, catching a strand of his white hair.
Astaroth and Stinger crossed weapons in a clash of daggers, and many slashes and stabs were performed quickly. Astaroth was not as masterful in his weapon-wielding as Stinger, so he was on the defensive in that trade.
Although less adept, Astaroth was much quicker while melded, so he fended off the attacks and slipped some through of his own. None ever found purchase though, as the rogue slipped aside from each strike.
