IMPERMANENCE

chapter six - the kingdom of kintu

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The young woman guided Dagger through Court and he tried his absolute best to look interested. Truthfully, he was focusing on mapping the interior of the castle. He noted areas where she avoided and areas she took time to showcase and explain. The areas she spent time in had hundreds of soldiers, men, and women, stalking about.

Hundreds.

They all looked to be around the same age, occasionally some older in the midst of the cluster. Some stopped to stare, and Dagger limited eye contact as minimally as he could. The castle had seemed unnervingly loud compared to the armory he had snuck into, with no one around to notice his presence, with the exception of the young woman he now walked alongside. He expected the activity within the most isolated nation in the world to be the same throughout.

As he was led through Kintu's castle, he soon realized it was nothing short of extravagant. While the kingdom of Kintu may be quiet and sequestered off from that of Gunther, the Court was anything but.

The ceilings stood tall. The light of day seeped in through its glass roofs. The courtyard was wide and open. Warm breezes and drafts filtered throughout each area of the castle. There were white marble floors that were so bright they reflected those walking on it like a lake. The castle was accented with minimal decorations, mostly of red, white, and black. Their crescent moon symbol spaced about in various locations. The interior design of the castle was filled with culture; their culture. It was filled with life.

Dagger tried his hardest not to gawk and admire Kintu's Royal Court. He even found himself comparing it to Gunther's, from the little portion of it he's seen. The contrasts between the two courts were polar opposites of each other.

Light and darkness. Good versus bad, from Kintu's perspective at least.

He had to repeat to himself multiple times that Kintu's exterior was a facade, and he was getting sucked up into the illusion. This is exactly the type of front they wanted him to see. He wouldn't allow himself to fall into another one of their twisted traps. The decorations, the craftsmanship of their swords, it all reflected nothing of the Commander's true character. A vicious murderer.

Dagger directed his attention to the court-goers who roamed throughout various parts of the castle. So animated and full of life. Nobles and commoners interacted with one another in harmony. There were men, women, and everything in between of all ages.

He took note of the women dressed as soldiers. The women who were soldiers in their own right. Their toned muscular builds and the weapons they bore at their sides were identical to their male counterparts.

The societal norms in the kingdom of Kintu were something Dagger had anticipated, but couldn't predict. A kingdom hidden from outsiders was bound to have secrets. Dagger thought of the refugees who had escaped Gunther looking for work in Kintu. Whatever happened to them? What did they think of the kingdom?

Dagger began to wonder if the isolated frontage that the kingdom of Kintu exhibited only applied against those in Gunther, their greatest enemy. He smiled as the thoughts raced through his mind.

He had to give it to them. For a split second, they almost had him fooled. It took effort on Dagger's end to remember the weapon they bore; the supernatural creature they had in their possession.

The Commander. Zedo's brother. His own brother's killer. A being with no remorse who will suffer for his crimes. That was what the kingdom failed to put on display.

The castle had many twists, turns, and forbidden passages. It was impossible to mentally map every exit of every room. The court seemed to stretch on for what seemed like infinity. Dagger would have to find nearby window panes to detect his geographical location, North, South, East, or West in relation to Gunther. Whenever he thought he had a basic idea of where he was, the nearest window would show him otherwise.