IMPERMANENCE

chapter eight - the kintuin army

Dagger awoke some hours later to loud banging on the chamber doors.

"Open up!" an annoyingly familiar voice shouted.

Great. The curly-haired guard from yesterday.

Groaning, Dagger peeled himself out of the silk sheets. His eyes squinted shut as he clasped his head and cringed from the sudden bright sheen upon the chambers. Floods of multi-colors distorted his vision. A pounding headache swarmed through his skull as he acknowledged that he was now awake and alive. It took him a second to recuperate, and Dagger knew the voice at the door had not retreated.

Pulling open the latch of the wooden doors, two faces stood. The curly-headed guard, propped up against the door frame, a wicked smirk across his face. A darker-skinned guard standing tall and proud next to him. A slim build and protruding muscles tore through his shirt and breast piece.

It took only seconds for Dagger to realize that the new face was in fact not a new face at all. It was the second guard on duty that Dagger had knocked unconscious.

Dagger's eyes fluttered shut in agony. "Is this some sort of fucking joke?" he asked blankly.

Dagger attempted to slam the chamber doors shut, but the curly-haired guard pushed against the door with one hand. Dagger barely resisted, he didn't have the strength to. His body gave out and he allowed the two men to filter inside of the chamber.

"Well, you look unsurprisingly awful," the curly-haired guard sneered as he casually strode in. The second guard stalked inside carefully, examining the chamber and not Dagger.

It would've surprised Dagger more if he didn't point out how awful he looked. Though he refused to look into his own reflection, the pain circulating from his body made him feel like death.

"What do you want?" Dagger groaned again, his voice still hoarse from his restless night. The curly-headed guard plopped onto the bed, the other merely leaning against a wall with his arms crossed around his chest.

The curly guard's hands rested behind his head and flicked one leg over the other. "I realized we never properly introduced ourselves yesterday evening," he smiled.

Dagger's eyes narrowed, he wasn't in the mood for his games again. He likely had no say in the matter. He screwed up, and these were the consequences.

"I'm Lennox," he said again, flashing perfectly straight teeth his way. His bright eyes flickered with charm as he motioned over to his partner. "And you remember Zane, right?"

Zane didn't so much as look at Dagger. He didn't blame him for it. Dagger assumed he was more pissed off at his stunt from the other day.

Lennox was now looking to Dagger, waiting for him to share his own name.

"Ronan," Dagger said at last. "Now what do you want?"

Lennox sat up from the bed looking hurt by Dagger's attitude.

"We're going hunting, and you're coming with us."

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The two soldiers allowed Dagger time to change, insinuating that he looked wrecked. Dagger glanced in the bathing room and took note of the sink, the tub, and the assortments of toiletries. He noticed the bathtub, large enough for multiple people.

In fear of Lennox becoming even more unbearably annoying, Dagger opted out of a full bath and instead splashed a few handfuls of water on his face from the sink. It was a new experience to not feel clumps of dirt and mud soak his skin along with the water. It had taken him a few minutes to figure out how to operate the sink. There were two pale gold handles, the one to his right spewed cold water, and the one to his left spewed warm. Dagger made the mistake of turning the handles all the way forward. Water came surging out of the golden pipe and hit the edges of the sink, it discharged all over his shirt leaving him soaking wet. He frantically pulled the handle all the way back the way he found it.