IMPERMANENCE

chapter six - the kingdom of kintu

He knew his luck wouldn't have lasted forever.

The young woman stood casually leaning against the door frame, her fingers lingered by her lips as she studied every inch of Dagger, taking in his potential threat. His lips trembled as he attempted to cough up an excuse. All logic and precision had leaked out of his brain as he stammered at the woman.

"I was—"

"I know who you are," said the woman gently, cutting him off. Her accent rolled off of her tongue like sweet candy as it filled Dagger's ears. She was dressed in similar attire to his own. A silver chest piece that fit snug on her body, and an undershirt of deep Kintuin red. Bare knees and exposed legs. The clothes were made to maneuver in, to fight in. The clothes weren't made to impress the eyes of gaping men. Dagger wouldn't make the mistake of underestimating the warrior that stood before him.

The hardest part of his plan began now. He spent one night studying the patterns of the guard shifts and regaining his strength. He was able to examine the Kintuin guards from afar, he noted their characteristics and engraved them into his brain. In order for this to work, Dagger would need to fool every Kintuin in his path so they'd mistake him for a Guntheran refugee. Dagger had concocted a story for himself; a background for those who dared question him. He would pose as a refugee, who escaped the Guntheran borders, whose family hadn't been fortunate enough to join him. Zedo had assured him through extensive research that Kintuins accepted refugees with open arms and offered them sanctuary in the castle. Fools.

Dagger believed the assassins sent before him attempted to break and enter the castle, recklessly. When assigned a deadly mission from the Emperor, a seemingly impossible mission, they threw all sense of logic away and gave it their best effort. It left them dead.

Dagger had been close to making that same mistake.

But there was a difference between Dagger and the assassins sent before him, Zedo was well aware of this fact.

Those other assassins hadn't met the Commander. They hadn't survived the War. He had.

The Commander and Dagger have unfinished business to see to. It took all of his might to swallow his craving for justice and play along with the young woman standing before him in the armory.

Dagger had spent so long forcing himself to become this facade, he hadn't fully processed what she had spoken.

I know who you are.

"You do?"

The young woman straightened her stance into a professional attitude.

"Of course," she said, flashing him a smile. "You must be the refugee from Gunther we've been expecting."

Dagger eased up the tension built in his posture and attempted to regain control of his breathing. This was surely something he could take advantage of if he played it off properly.

"I apologize for arriving so abruptly, I collected my uniform and was left with little direction," Dagger replied. There was no need for impersonating somebody he wasn't. He didn't have to pretend. A refugee he was, who had escaped the horrors of the Empire of Gunther to the safety of the kingdom of Kintu's Court. Dagger adjusted to the circumstances rapidly and with ease. Though he was positive that the calming nature of the woman standing before him facilitated his nerves and jittery movements.

She explained how she'd be happy to give him a proper tour of the castle grounds, and Dagger gave her a simple nod in return as he was eager to direct her away from the armory in case the person she was actually expecting showed up.

It worked. His plan had worked at last. He was inside of the castle and had easily fooled one of their own. He began to wonder if his good fortune would see through to the inevitable moment when he'd confront the Commander. Dagger fastened his grip on his brother's necklace around his neck, checking that it was tucked inside of his chest piece for no one else to see or recognize.