Hearing the shouts and laughter of the people around him, Taznaar was wide-eyed and open-mouthed, completely stunned. He couldn't believe that he had been humiliated like that.
'How... how was he faster than me? How did he manage to dodge my sword?'
Taznaar's head was a complete mess. He couldn't tell if he was in a nightmare or if all this was really real.
His vision was blurred, like windows during winter, and everything seemed far away, even the sounds. An incessant whistling sound haunted his hearing, and his breathing was labored. Still, Taznaar stood up, dragging his hand across the sand and dirtying his fingernails for the first time in his life. He was on his knees, now clearly hearing the laughter of everyone around him.
