Dastan fell back due to the surprise attack of Guto, "Ugh, evening the odds I see, smart for someone so young like you."
The forest was shrouded in an eerie silence as Guto and Dastan faced each other, their weapons drawn and their hearts heavy with the weight of their impending duel. The masked man, a silent observer, remained at a respectful distance, his presence casting a foreboding shadow over the scene.
Dastan's face bore a mixture of determination and desperation as he locked eyes with Guto. He knew that this duel was not just a test of strength but a desperate bid to secure the funds needed to save his ailing daughter's life.
"Let's get this over with," Dastan muttered, his voice tense with the knowledge that time was running out. He had no choice but to fight for the money that might buy his daughter precious time.
As the two opponents circled each other cautiously, their blades glinting in the dappled forest light, a mysterious silhouette watched from a distance. It remained hidden in the shadows.
Dastan's words, uttered between gritted teeth, broke the silence. "I need that money, Guto," he confessed, his voice a mixture of desperation and resolve. "I need it to hire doctors, to save my daughter."
Guto's brow furrowed as he struggled to make sense of Dastan's plea. 'Money for doctors?' he thought. 'What is he talking about?' The answer eluded him, leaving him with more questions than answers.
Before Guto could voice his confusion, the mysterious silhouette decided to withdraw from the scene, disappearing into the depths of the forest. Leaving Guto and Dastan alone in their standoff.
With a heavy sigh, Guto finally spoke, his voice laced with a reluctant acceptance of the inevitable. "Let's get this over with, then."
The duel commenced, blades clashing and sparks flying as the two warriors fought with a fierce determination. Their strikes were precise, each move calculated, but there was an undercurrent of tension in the air. Guto knew that this duel was not just about victory or defeat it was about life and death.
As the battle raged on, Dastan's strength began to wane. His ribs ached from the earlier dagger strike, and his vision blurred with each passing moment. Guto pressed his advantage, his thoughts consumed by a mixture of confusion and determination.
In the end, it was a swift and decisive strike from Guto that sealed Dastan's fate. The blade found its mark.
Dastan layed on the forest floor, his life ebbing away with each passing moment. The wounds inflicted by Guto were grievous, and his strength had all but left him. He gazed up at the canopy of leaves above, his breath shallow and labored. His thoughts were a tumultuous whirlwind, a mix of regret, despair, and a profound sense of loss.
Guto stood nearby, his dagger stained with Dastan's blood, a conflicted expression on his face. He had not wanted it to end this way, but circumstances had forced their hands. The forest bore witness to the tragic tableau of their duel, and the weight of the moment hung heavy in the air.
Dastan's eyes met Guto's, and in that fleeting connection, there was a silent exchange of understanding. Dastan knew that he had challenged Guto to this duel, that his actions had led them down this dark path. He had been driven by desperation, by a father's love for his ailing daughter.
As his vision blurred and the pain in his body intensified, Dastan's thoughts turned to his daughter. He had fought for her life, but it seemed that his sacrifice would be in vain. His heart ached with the knowledge that he would never see her smile again, never hear her laughter.
Guto knelt beside Dastan, a somber expression on his face. He couldn't undo the choices that had brought them to this point, but he could offer a moment of solace in the face of impending death.
With trembling hands, Dastan reached out to Guto, a silent plea for forgiveness and understanding. Guto, his own eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions, clasped Dastan's hand in a gesture of reluctant empathy.
Dastan's breaths grew shallower, his strength waning with each passing second. He knew that his time was running out, that this would be his final moment in the world. In that moment of vulnerability, he whispered, "Help her." his voice barely more than a faint, rasping breath.
Guto stepped back from Dastan. He watched as the light faded from Dastan's eyes, and the forest seemed to hold its breath in reverence for the fallen warrior.
As Dastan's life slipped away, a confusion settled over Guto. He did not understand why capturing him would give any money to Dastan.
Guto's steps through the village were marked by a somber sense of reflection. The recent events weighed heavily on his mind, and as he approached Dastan's daughter's room, he couldn't help but replay the sequence of events that had led to this tragic moment.
However, it was when his eyes fell upon the floor, he saw a crumpled wanted poster of himself on the floor with a pretty big reward for him, a surge of anger coursed through him. His frustration transformed into a fiery rage as he picked up the poster. The realization hit him like a thunderbolt, it was Throel's machinations that had set this tragic chain of events into motion.
Guto's grip on the poster tightened until his knuckles turned white. The rage that had simmered beneath the surface now burned brightly within him. 'It was all because of the reward that he put out that this happened.' He thought.
In that moment, Guto's anger was not directed at Dastan, nor was it solely about his own predicament. It was a seething fury aimed squarely at Throel, leading to Dastan's fateful decision to challenge Guto to a duel. Guto understood that Throel's interference had cost Dastan his life.
With a deep breath, Guto entered Dastan's daughter's room, his anger still smoldering within him. He was surprised by the sight of Frøya standing by the child, tears in her eyes. The room was heavy with grief.
As Frøya turned to Guto, her trembling voice broke through the sorrow that hung in the air. "I was too late."